Ant vault



D. H. CAUBRE ANT VAULT Filed Jan. 5, 1960 Jan. '23, 1962 DAVID IfCAUBQE,

IN VEN TOR.

Patented Jan. 23, 1962 3,017,717 ANT VAULT David H. Calibre, 4122 W.162ml St, Lawndaie, Calif.

. Filed Jan. 5, 1960, Sci. No. 670

3 Claims. (Cl. 43131) The present invention relates generally to thefield of insecticide holders, and more particularly to a container inwhich a bottle of ant poison can be disposed in a position accessible toants but out of reach of children.

An effective method of combating ants and like insects is the use of asweet material such as syrup that contains a poison. However, while sucha material is poisonous to ants, it is likewise poisonous to children,and each year numerous fatalities occur due to children surreptitiouslyeating the same. a

A major object of the present invention is to provide a container for abottle of ant poison which may be readily opened by an adult whounderstands its mode of operation, but cannot be opened by a smallchild, irrespective of the treatment to which he subjects the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container for an antpoison bottle, and so hold the same that it is readily accessible toants, but is inaccessible to small children and pets.

A still further object of the invention is to furnish a container for anant poison bottle that serves as a safety device for both children andadults, in that access to the bottle may be had only after apredetermined series of steps are performed, whereby the ant poisonbottle will not be picked up inadvertently in the belief that it is abottle containing a harmless material.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description of a preferred form thereof andfrom the accompanying drawing illustrating the same in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the ant poison bottle container;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the device showing the hingedside thereof in an open position;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the device taken online 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional View of the device taken online 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, it will be seen that the inventionincludes a generally rectangular box A defined by first and second endwalls and 12, a top wall 14, bottom wall 16, a fixed side wall 18 bestseen in FIGURE 3, and a side wall 20. The side wall 20 is hinged tobottom wall 16 by two longitudinally spaced hinges 22. The hinges 22 areaffixed to the adjacent edge portions of bottom wall 16 and side wall26* by a number of screws 24 or similar fastening means.

An elongate lug 26 is affixed to side wall 20 in such a position that itis disposed adjacent to the outer interior surface of top wall 1 3 whenside wall 20 is in the closed positions shown in FIGURE 2. A verticallydisposed bore 3% is formed in top wall 14 which is in vertical alignmentwith an elongate recess 32 formed in lug 26 when side wall Ztl ispivoted to the closed position shown in FIGURE 3. A steel pin 34 isadapted to be slidably disposed in bore 3%} and recess 32. The pin is ofsufficient length that a portion thereof extends into the bore when thebalance of the pin rests within the confines of recess 32.

A second lug 36 is affixed to side wall 20 on the same side thereof onwhich first lug 26 is mounted. One end of an elongate spring 38 isaffixed to the interior surface of side wall by a screw 39 or otherfastening means, and the free end portion of the spring extendsoutwardly slightly from the side wall to at all times exert an outwardlydirected force on an ant poison bottle B which is of such size as to bedisposable in box A. Spring 38 exerts outward pressure on the bottle toforce it into pressure contact with second lug 36. This force exerted onlug 36 tends to pivot the side wall 20 into the open position, but thepin 34 when in bore 3% and recess 32 prevents such pivotal movement.Sufiicient force is exerted on pin 34 to frictionally maintain it withinthe confines of bore 30 and recess 32, and to a degree that a childcannot dislodge it therefrom. The side wall 20, when held in the lockedposition by pin 34, is almost but not quite in abutting contact with theedge portions of box A.

When it is desired to have access to the box A, to change the bottle ofant poison therein or the like, the side wall 20 is pivoted intoabutting contact with box A, and a permanent magnet C, as may be seen inFIGURE 1, is used to pull the pin 34 outwardly from the bore 30 andrecess 32.

An opening 40 is formed in substantially the center of end wall It andis closed by a plate 42 in which a number of spaced apertures 44 areformed of a size that will permit ants to crawl therethrough.

The operation of the invention is obvious. A bottle of ant poison B isplaced in box A, and the side wall 20 pivoted to a position where thepin 30 can be slid down into bore 36) to engage recess 32 and removablyhold the side wall in the closed position. The box A is then placed in afixed position and preferably held there by screws 48 that extendthrough openings 50 formed in side wall 16, and the poison is readilyavailable to ants and other insects. When the poison is depleted, theside wall is pivoted to the open position by following the stepspreviously described, and the bottle is refilled with poison, or a newbottle substituted in its stead. The device is then ready to be usedagain.

It will be apparent that the box A and side wall 20 can be fabricatedfrom any number of solid materials such as wood, polymerized resins,metal or the like.

Although the invention herein shown and described is fully capable ofperforming the objects and providing the advantages hereinbeforementioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of thepresently preferred embodiment thereof, and that I do not mean to belimited to the details of construction herein shown and described otherthan as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety container for a poison bottle comprising a box open on oneside wherein said bottle can be disposed, a side wall hingedly connectedto said box and adapted to be moved to a position to close said openside, said box having a bore formed therein that terminates at alocation adjacent said side wall when said side wall is in a closedposition, said box also having an opening formed therein through whichinsects can pass to reach said poison bottle and contents thereof amagnetically attractable pin of such transverse cross section and lengthas to be slidably insertable within the confines of said bore andproject inwardly beyond the interior surface of that portion of said boxin which said bore is formed and when said pin is so disposed, all butthe upper end surface thereof is concealed; engageable means on saidside wall for interlocking with said inwardly projecting portion of saidpin to maintain said side wall in a closed and locked position relativeto said box; and spring means positioned within said box, which springmeans exerts sufficient laterally directed force on said pin to maintainsaid pin in said bore and engageable means due to frictional contacttherewith until said pin is subjected to a sufiiciently strong magneticfield as to be withdrawn from said bore to permit said side wall to bemoved to a position to allow access to the interior of said box and saidbottle contained therein.

2. A safety container as defined in claim 1 wherein said engageablemeans is a lug affixed to the interior surface of said side wall, saidlug having an elongate recess formed therein that is coaxially alignablewith said bore when said side wall is in a closed position, with saidrecess being adapted to be removably engaged by the lower portion ofsaid pin.

3. A safety container as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring means isan elongate spring affixed to and projecting from the interior surfaceportion of said box opposite said open side thereof, which spring at alltimes urges said bottle disposed within said box toward said side wallwhen said side wall is in a closed position to exert a laterallydirected force on said pin when said pin is disposed in said bore andrecess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

